The Ten-Step Recipe For Success For Job Seekers And Employers
A job seeker unable to find meaningful employment and an employer unable to find skilled talent are two seemingly contradictory trends we see today in our local labour market. Add challenges related to cultural competency, inclusiveness for underrepresented groups, flexibility of time, and career progression, and we almost need a magic wand to find a solution.
Earlier this summer, the Central Region Employment and Workforce (CREW) partnership launched the Fredericton region workforce strategy which encompasses two 10-step toolkits: one for job seekers, one for employers. The first toolkit, “Resources to Hire Great Candidates”, is designed for businesses that are struggling to find labour.
The toolkit not only identifies a 10-step process for candidate search but also explains in detail the concepts of hiring strategy, job specifications, leveraging online resources, conducting effective interviews and making job
offers.
The second toolkit, “Resources for Finding Work”, identifies 10 steps for job search along with methods for organizing and planning your job search, researching and networking, writing cover letters and resumes, and leveraging social media.
The toolkits simplify the difficult process of finding a perfect match. While job seekers are expected to carry the right mix of professional and behavioural skills along with the right language and technical competencies, employers are expected to provide meaningful work with flexibility in the workplace as well as equal opportunity for underrepresented groups. The needs and capabilities of either party must match.
While developing these toolkits, it was imperative to consult with job seekers and employers and address their problems with easy-to-follow processes.
This was accomplished through the combined efforts of the CREW partnership, which comprises representatives from Ignite Fredericton Region, WorkingNB, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Southwest.
The CREW invited organizations that support minorities, newcomers, and other relevant groups to share their input in the workforce strategy development and be listed as resources, where appropriate, in the toolkits.
The result is two easy-to-understand resources that cut through the confusion, offering a clear path forward for those looking for work and hiring.
According to Krista Ross, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, “Many of our Fredericton Chamber of Commerce members tell us that accessing the workforce they need is one of their top business challenges right now. The workforce toolkits recently launched in the Fredericton Region are an excellent resource for employers of all sizes and in all sectors. Because business owners are so busy, it was imperative to ensure that the toolkits are easy-to-use to maximize their impact and help address the current labour shortage.”
Nausheen Ali, the Manager of Workforce Development at Ignite Fredericton says, “In our communications with jobseekers, we’ve come to realize that there is a deep level of comfort in knowing that there is a logical process in place to help them navigate the job market. The jobseeker toolkit has been designed keeping just that in mind, making sure that this audience is provided with the resources at every step, empowering them to be independent in their quest.
This not only gives them confidence in their skill and approach but also alleviates pressure from the system, helping us widen our reach to diverse audiences.”
All ecosystem partners, including those affected by the labour shortage problem, came together to come up with this solution designed to be extremely useful to a variety of people and businesses.
“The employee-focused toolkits can help those seeking the perfect opportunity to direct their search. I am confident that the toolkits will make an immediate positive impact and contribute to economic growth in our region. The Chamber was happy to be a part of the team with Ignite and others who worked together to create the toolkit,” says Krista Ross.
The ready-to-use toolkits can be downloaded from the Ignite Fredericton Region website Insights.